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Author Topic: No more ugly lightboxes! Thank goodness.  (Read 16193 times)

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« Reply #25 on: February 19, 2015, 16:28 »
0
deleted
« Last Edit: February 19, 2015, 17:16 by KnowYourOnions »


« Reply #26 on: February 19, 2015, 19:40 »
-2
I like the changes and I am excited they are gearing up to move away from Flash so videos will be viewable on mobile soon. I do agree the subtraction of the description is an odd choice...but simplicity is good. My sales at iStock have been decent and steady over the past few months now, so I think they are making the right moves.

Hobostocker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #27 on: February 20, 2015, 04:40 »
0
I think that the main business will be the IPO and growing repeat subscriptions. I think that they will be prepared to cannibalize everything else for that.

as much as many here are horrified by subs this is the way News images have been sold for ages on the top News agencies like AP/AFP/Reuters so it's nothing new actually.


« Reply #28 on: February 20, 2015, 04:55 »
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I think it is a clean looking interface and has the advantage that for every image it shows more files. Many artists did not add lightbox links or linked their series, so it was inconsistent before. I also think the larger zoom is much better.

However, I do wish they would give us a proper lightbox page somewhere. Lightboxes are very useful for the customer, they can easily see everything I have to offer from a theme and can save the page so they can go back and see what is new in my collection. This is more useful than bookmarking the artist, because usally the customer will only be interested in a certain subject (i.e. wine not sports)

« Reply #29 on: February 21, 2015, 22:06 »
+3
Wait, what? They are removing descriptions? Some of these changes are quite welcome, but removing the descriptions makes no sense. Show me a website that doesn't allow contributors to write up a small blurb about their product to inform and entice buyers? Just one more dehumanizing bad decision by GI. Way to go guys. Keep up the good work.

« Reply #30 on: February 24, 2015, 14:15 »
+1
Private Lightboxes are gone now as of today. Brace yourselves on credit sales for the newest, new, new.

KB

« Reply #31 on: February 24, 2015, 19:00 »
0
Private Lightboxes are gone now as of today.
Mine are still visible and accessible. But it's just a matter of time before your statement is true for everyone.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #32 on: February 24, 2015, 19:04 »
0
Private Lightboxes are gone now as of today.
Mine are still visible and accessible. But it's just a matter of time before your statement is true for everyone.
Presuably what you mean is that you can see everyone's lightboxes and descriptions (as can I) because you're not part of the early rollout of the new system.

KB

« Reply #33 on: February 25, 2015, 00:42 »
0
Private Lightboxes are gone now as of today.
Mine are still visible and accessible. But it's just a matter of time before your statement is true for everyone.
Presuably what you mean is that you can see everyone's lightboxes and descriptions (as can I) because you're not part of the early rollout of the new system.
Exactly what I wrote implied.  ;D

« Reply #34 on: February 25, 2015, 00:53 »
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All the linking to any private Lightboxes on closeup pages you might have created is gone as of yesterday. The new style of closeup page is live now.

« Reply #35 on: February 25, 2015, 07:59 »
0
Mine are still working but I know the end is near. I've stopped adding any links to new UL's. (yes, I'm still uploading....)

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #36 on: February 25, 2015, 08:11 »
+1
All the linking to any private Lightboxes on closeup pages you might have created is gone as of yesterday. The new style of closeup page is live now.

For the 5% of people at the beginning of the rollout.
The rest of us will lose them by some time in March.
"Initially the changes will only be visible to 5% of the international community but we expect to increase this percentage over the next few weeks."
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=365525&messageid=7083869
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 08:33 by ShadySue »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #37 on: February 25, 2015, 08:24 »
+5
I think removal of descriptions is a huge mistake. There are a lot of very good points over there in the discussion forum, and not one reason to explain why they thought it was a good idea (other than presumably for a cleaner interface). We now have to somehow put all of the most salient information into the title which only allows a limited number of words, which Google will truncate.

I also don't see why they have a 'discussion' of it in the discussion forum if it's a fait accompli and they're not going to pay attention to input. They should just put it into the announcements forum and lock it.

OTOH, maybe it's an indication that they don't want the sort of image which benefits from a detailed explanation, and want to go back to the 'red apple isolated on white' type of image, where the short title can tell all that's needed. If so, they need to say so. They can't seriously be expecting a buyer, who is already searching within iStock (because they have credits or a subscrption there), to go out to Google to read a file description to check it's really what they need.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 08:45 by ShadySue »

« Reply #38 on: February 25, 2015, 08:33 »
0
Here it's still the old style.

« Reply #39 on: February 25, 2015, 11:40 »
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All the linking to any private Lightboxes on closeup pages you might have created is gone as of yesterday. The new style of closeup page is live now.

Yesterday, all I got were 404 errors on any asset detail page - mine or someone elses, logged in or logged out.

Today, I'm back to the old style pages.

I assume they're having some issues with the rollout.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #40 on: February 25, 2015, 12:28 »
0
I've had several timeouts and the forum is again showing blank. (It was blank for a while earlier).
Search seems to be working fine, and I'm still seeing descriptions and lightboxes.
You must be in the 'favoured' 5%, Jo Ann.

« Reply #41 on: February 25, 2015, 13:56 »
+10
All the linking to any private Lightboxes on closeup pages you might have created is gone as of yesterday. The new style of closeup page is live now.

Yesterday, all I got were 404 errors on any asset detail page - mine or someone elses, logged in or logged out.

Today, I'm back to the old style pages.

I assume they're having some issues with the rollout.

Istock having technical difficulties with a new rollout!  Surely you jest!!!    ;)

« Reply #42 on: February 25, 2015, 14:55 »
0
. . . I also don't see why they have a 'discussion' of it in the discussion forum if it's a fait accompli and they're not going to pay attention to input. They should just put it into the announcements forum and lock it. . .
I often wonder about that. If something is as you say, fait accompli, as things usually are over there, there really is little point in discussion further discussion.



« Reply #43 on: February 26, 2015, 08:07 »
+4
I'd like to reiterate the fact that removing descriptions is not only inconvenient, it's a destructive decision. Take audio artists for example. Since they no longer have the possibility to guide buyers to different (short, full, looped) versions of their tracks, buyers are now on their own to find the version they want by wading through portfolios with hundreds of files. And there's no solution in sight.

Such a crazy move by Istock and it goes to show they really don't know what they're doing. Even Shutterstock has descriptions (yet no titles) and that is no example to follow. So why remove descriptions? Why deprive buyers of information about their products? Looking at the new layout, it feels like information is missing and buyers are left to guess what they're buying.

« Reply #44 on: February 26, 2015, 10:01 »
+3
It's just another step in integrating the iStock "assets" into the Getty computer systems. Eventually they need not have separate iStock IT people. All these moves are "operations efficiency" and "cost reductions" behind the scenes. Never mind the killing of useful brand features. (My opinion).

KB

« Reply #45 on: February 28, 2015, 12:18 »
+1
So my account has now switched over to the new look.

I can obviously see the attractions to this design. I especially like the huge (yet well water-marked) preview image.

But I hate, hate, hate the loss of descriptions, including the removal of LB and similars links.

And there is no similars carousel, but I guess they said that was coming "soon"?

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #46 on: February 28, 2015, 12:32 »
+1
So my account has now switched over to the new look.

I can obviously see the attractions to this design. I especially like the huge (yet well water-marked) preview image.

But I hate, hate, hate the loss of descriptions, including the removal of LB and similars links.

And there is no similars carousel, but I guess they said that was coming "soon"?

I guess their internal algorithm didn't find any similars, which isn't at all the same as you not having similars.
I clicked one of my images and had no similars, which is true for that file. I clicked on another and had two similars, though I have more than two that I'd think should be there. remember that 'date' was one of the things they said would generate 'similars', so if someone dripped up a series, which at one time made sense, because of best match switches favouring new or older uploads from time to time, they might not be regarded as 'similar'.

Mine switched in the past hour. Why do I have to switch off that yellow cookies-warning bar with every new file I click in? Other sites you do it once for always (or at least until you do something which removes the preference).

Later: I just did a check in my own port. The time seems to have a huge effect. If I uploaded a series at once, they're all there as thums. If I have several pics of one subject (e.g. a particular species) taken at different times, the thums don't show.
« Last Edit: February 28, 2015, 13:31 by ShadySue »

KB

« Reply #47 on: February 28, 2015, 12:58 »
+2
I guess their internal algorithm didn't find any similars, which isn't at all the same as you not having similars.
Oh. Wonderful. I had looked at several of my images that have obvious similars, and so just assumed it wasn't working yet.  :(  >:(

Edit:

Ok, so I just did a more in-depth study, looking at a dozen of my files. Only 4 of them had the similars carousel. And of those 4, just a very, very few of the similars were shown.

Epic. Fail. It is totally worthless, based on my own portfolio. It will surely have a huge affect of my sale of similars, which was probably the last thing keeping my portfolio (barely) afloat.

Great job, Getty!
« Last Edit: February 28, 2015, 13:07 by KB »

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #48 on: February 28, 2015, 15:31 »
+1
"They are not showing the new ADP to the same 5% of people every day. Those who can see it varies, so we can get feedback from an array of users and systems. Don't worry if it's a case of now you see it, now you don't."
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=365525&messageid=7087265

« Reply #49 on: February 28, 2015, 15:35 »
0
I can't ask on the forums, but what happens with files that have important file specific information (such as gradient meshes)? Buyers should be made aware of what contains Illustrator-specific features. What happens now that that information is removed?


 

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